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Idiotype Vaccination Strategies in Myeloma: How to
Overcome a Dysfunctional Immune System
Frits van Rhee
Clin Cancer Res 2007;13:1353-1355.
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The Biology Behind
Idiotype Vaccination Strategies in Myeloma: How to Overcome
a Dysfunctional Immune System
55 Commentary on Hansson et al., p. 1503
Frits van Rhee
In this issue of Clinical Cancer Research, Hansson et al.
vaccinated 28 patients (IgG myeloma, Salmon-Durie stages I
and II) with autologous myeloma idiotype protein and assessed
the effect of adding either granulocyte macrophage colonystimulating factor (GM-CSF) alone or the combination of GMCSF and interleukin 12 (IL-12) during the vaccination program
(1). Idiotype-specific T-cell responses as measured by proliferation and ELISPOT assays, and delayed-type hypersensitivity
reactions were more frequent in patients receiving GM-CSF and
IL-12 compared with those treated with IL-12 alone (85%
versus 33%). The median time to myeloma progression was
108 weeks in immunologic responders compared with 26
weeks for nonresponders, which provides the first tentative
evidence that idiotype vaccination in myeloma may translate
into clinical benefit. Immunologic nonresponse was associated
with an increase in CD4+/CD25+/Foxp3 + cells (Treg cells).
The immunogenicity of the idiotype protein in myeloma has
been investigated for more than three decades (2). Vaccination
with the idiotype protein is attractive because it provides for
multiple patient-specific tumor epitopes which can be readily
purified from the peripheral blood of patients with myeloma. The
idiotype protein can induce humoral immunity, however, in
contrast to lymphoma, myeloma cells do not express the IgG
idiotype on the cell surface, and hence, the contribution of
idiotype antibodies to any vaccine-induced clinical responses in
myeloma is unclear. The immunogenic peptides contained in
idiotypes are mostly derived from the variable CDRI, II, and III
regions rather than the framework region of the IgG molecule
inducing CD4+ and CD8+ T cell immune responses (3, 4).
Idiotype-pulsed dendritic cells (DC) can induce autologous
idiotype-specific T cells from patients with myeloma, which have
the ability to kill primary myeloma cells. This proves that idiotypes
are indeed naturally processed and presented by malignant plasma
cells (5). Cytolysis of myeloma cells is mostly HLA class I–
restricted and mediated via the perforin/granzyme mechanism (5).
Naturally occurring idiotype-specific T cells are present in
monoclonal gammopathy of underdetermined significance and
multiple myeloma, and were also detected in the present study.
However, in advanced myeloma, the T cell responses may be
shifted to type 2 inflammatory cellular responses (6, 7). This
pool of preexisting idiotype-specific T cells could potentially be
expanded by vaccination with idiotype proteins, but the
Author’s Affiliation: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock,
Arkansas
Received 11/3/06; accepted 11/7/06.
Requests for reprints: Frits van Rhee, University of Arkansas for Medical
Sciences, 4301West Markham, Number 816, Little Rock, AR 72205.
F 2007 American Association for Cancer Research.
doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-06-2650
www.aacrjournals.org
functional activity of these T cells is a matter of debate. Active
immunization in experimental animal models provides protection against challenge with myeloma tumor cell lines (2, 8).
However, results in human clinical trials with idiotype
vaccination have thus far been disappointing. Immunologic
responses occur in <50% of patients and clinical responses are
rare (9). Perhaps this is because idiotype proteins are weak
immunogens and induce only weak to intermediate affinity T
cells. There have been attempts to enhance immune responses
by linking idiotypes to keyhole limpet hemocyanin or tetanus
toxoid in order to recruit helper T cells (10). Others have added
GM-CSF at the site of injection to attract DCs and promote the
processing and presentation of idiotype antigens (11). GM-CSF
seems to be a critical component of vaccination regimens in
lymphoma, which have clinical efficacy (12, 13).
Clinical trials with ex vivo idiotype – pulsed DCs have not
been successful either, which in part, can be explained by the
use of immature DCs and/or the i.v. administration of DCs
(14). In addition, vaccination with immature DCs may favor
the induction of Tr1-like regulatory T cells (15, 16). In patients
with myeloma, DCs are functionally abnormal in vivo and
exhibit an immature phenotype with reduced expression of the
costimulatory molecule B7.1 (17). These DCs have a reduced
ability to stimulate antigen-specific T cells and present patientspecific idiotype proteins to autologous T cells (18). Excess
secretion of transforming growth factor h, IL-6, and IL-10 by
myeloma cells and/or the myeloma microenvironment are
responsible for these abnormalities (17, 18). Transforming
growth factor h and IL-10 can induce tolerance of antigenspecific T cells and skew the immune response to a type 2 T-cell
response. IL-6 is also an autocrine and paracrine growth factor
for myeloma cells and inhibits the development of DCs from
CD34+ progenitor cells (18). The number of high-potency DCs
is lower with more advanced myeloma disease (18, 19). The
level of h2 microglobulin reflects tumor burden and is a poor
prognostic factor in the International Staging System. h2
Microglobulin also has detrimental effects on DC function
and reduces IL-12 production by monocyte-derived DCs. h2
Microglobulin reduces the expression of costimulatory and
adhesion molecules by DCs and negatively affects the induction
of T cell responses (20). Furthermore, it has recently been
reported that DCs may directly support the clonogenic growth
of primary myeloma cells (21). Taken together, these observations emphasize the ability of myeloma to dysregulate the
function of ex vivo and in vivo generated DCs and helps to
explain the poor clinical results of idiotype vaccination trials.
It is of interest to note that in the study by Hansson et al., the
number of baseline CD4+/CD25+/Foxp3 + Treg cells in immunologic responders was lower compared with nonresponders.
In two-thirds of the immune responders, the immune response
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The Biology Behind
disappeared after the induction phase, which coincided with an
increase in the number of Treg cells. It is now well established
that an increased number of Treg cells can be found in a number
of malignancies and that the presence of Treg cells is associated
with a poor prognosis (22). Expansion of these Treg cells is at
least, in part, antigen-driven and can be amplified by
therapeutic vaccination (23). In monoclonal gammopathy of
underdetermined significance and myeloma, peripheral expansion of functional Treg (naI¨ve, central memory, and effector
memory Treg cells) has recently been reported (24, 25). DCs
fully matured with proinflammatory cytokines expand Treg cells
in vivo in patients with myeloma (24, 25). These Treg cells are
functionally active and suppress T cell proliferation. Treg cell
formation in myeloma is DC/T cell contact-dependent, involves
the B7.1 and B7.2 molecules, and is not related to IL-10 or
transforming growth factor h secretion, all features associated
with classic thymic-dependent Treg. In addition, it has been
shown that Treg cells can develop from the CD25-negative cell
population, suggesting that the proposed elimination of the
CD25-positive population may not always be effective in
promoting vaccine-induced T cell responses (26). Transforming
growth factor h, present in abundance in myeloma, could
contribute to the induction of Treg cells (27).
The expansion of Treg cells described by Hannson et al. clearly
adds a different layer of complexity to idiotype vaccination in
myeloma. It seems that immature DCs can induce Tr1-like
regulatory cells, whereas fully mature DCs promote the induction of Treg cells. Fully mature DCs are efficient in inducing both
T effector cells and Treg cells with the immunosuppressive action
of Treg cells being dominant (23). It is clear that the outcome
of vaccine-induced tumor-specific T cell responses may depend
on the strength of the opposing effects of Treg cells and T
effectors, and that optimizing the balance of T effectors versus
Treg cells is pivotal. Certainly, in all future trials, the potential
induction of Treg cells needs to be carefully monitored.
It is of interest that in the study by Hansson et al., more
immunologic responses were seen with the combination of IL12 and GM-CSF, and the median time to progression in the
immunologic responders was 108 weeks versus 26 weeks in
nonresponders. It should be recognized, however, that the
number of patients in the study was small and that it cannot be
excluded that the ability to respond to the idiotype protein
might be due to the differing disease characteristics in the two
cohorts. IL-12 is typically not involved in the induction or
regulation of Treg cells. IL-12 does inhibit anergy induction,
promotes the development of strong proliferative T cell
response, and effector T cell function. IL-12 may act as a type
of third signal, in addition to signals mediated by the TCR and
costimulatory molecule – mediated signals, and reverse antigeninduced tolerance and expand antigen-specific T cells (28 – 30).
One could speculate that the combination of IL-12 and GM-CSF
tipped the balance, at least temporarily, in favor of T effector
cells resulting in a high percentage of immunologic responses.
Important questions for future idiotype-vaccination trials
revolve around three issues: selection of the appropriate patient
population, normalization of DC function, and overcoming the
immunosuppressive activity of the various types of regulatory
T cells. The myeloma patients most in need of novel strategies
are those with a poor clinical outcome with high-dose chemotherapy combined with stem cell transplantation or application
of novel drugs. These patients can be easily identified by gene
expression profiling of purified plasma cells and exhibit a
proliferation signature or translocations involving the FGFR3,
c-MAF, or MAF-B loci (31). These patients may benefit from
immunologic therapy after stem cell transplantation, when a
state of minimal residual disease has been achieved, to
eradicate residual chemorefractory myeloma cells. The preparative regimen could include drugs like fludarabine and
cyclophosphamide, which eliminate Treg cells (32, 33).
However, patients are profoundly immunosuppressed post –
peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, and it takes at
least 3 months for the number of T cells to return to normal.
The CD4+/8+ T-cell ratio remains inverted much longer and
a severely abnormal T cell repertoire persists for at least 1 year
(34, 35). A requirement would therefore be to vaccinate pretransplantation, followed by collection and cryopreservation
of idiotype-specific T cells, which could be returned prior to
peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, when a lymphodepleted environment exists, followed by idiotype-booster vaccination to preferentially expand idiotype-specific T cells.
A different approach would be to target patients really early
in their disease course with monoclonal gammopathy of
underdetermined significance or smoldering myeloma. One
would have to treat a very large number of patients and have
long-term follow-up to establish clinical benefit. This disadvantage can perhaps be overcome by application of the newly
developed serum-free light chain assay (36). Elevation of serum
‘‘freelites’’ in monoclonal gammopathy of underdetermined
significance is associated with increased risk of disease
progression. Reductions in serum freelites can rapidly indicate
a response to vaccination and reflect the elimination of a more
primitive monoclonal plasma cell population, which has lost
the ability to secrete the complete IgG molecule. Novel
vaccination strategies would have to take into account methods
to restore normal DC function in patients with myeloma.
Neutralizing antibodies to IL-6, IL-10, and transforming growth
factor h or inhibition of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase
can partially abrogate the detrimental effects of these cytokines
on DCs (18, 37). Anti – IL-6 antibody may also restore the
normal differentiation process of CD34+ cells to DCs. Treg could
be eliminated or reduced in frequency by anti – IL-25 antibody
linked to diphtheria toxin. Antibodies to CTLA-4, glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor – related gene, or
CCR4 chemokine receptor could interfere with the induction
and homing of Treg cells (38). It is clear that we have entered a
new era of vaccinology in which we have a better understanding of the immunoregulatory mechanisms that shape the type
of immune response elicited by a vaccine. It is hoped that these
insights will result in a new armamentarium for manipulating
the immune system to enhance the activity of tumor vaccines.
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